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Torment Completed	By : Kvarta Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 31713 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
- 95
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- 97
A/N: In agreement with my beta – I’m posting this chapter unedited when she finishes with fixing the grammar and with me, I will re-post this chapter at a later date.
At that time, I do expect that some parts will be enhanced and there will be no grammatical errors.
I leave it to you to read it now or wait some more.
When I upload edited chapter I’ll remove this note :)
Hermione folded another long sleeve shirt and sighed, it is not like she’ll need all that clothes, in fact, she wondered if she will need any besides her school robes. The sound of soft snoring could be heard from behind, she placed the shirt in a trunk and glanced over the bundles of clothes, books and toiletries scattered on the sofa. Never before, as long as she could remember, was so complicated to pack her school trunk, it was almost like she was procrastinating.
What is wrong with me?
This was the fifth or maybe sixth time she packed, unpacked and packed again, and not just today - she was doing that for days. On the bottom of her trunk, she already had her school robes, two sets of summer and winter Muggle clothes, all that she would need from socks and undergarments, shoes, books and basic toiletries. But for some reason she still had a need to pack more, unpack and then repeat the process. Only a few more days before her departure and Hermione still wasn’t ready.
It wasn’t like her. She would be packed and ready weeks before the day, certain in her choices, now she wasn’t either certain or ready. And it wasn’t just packing - she would question her decision to go to Hogwarts at least three or four times a day for weeks. Severus wasn’t helping either if anything his behaviour prompted her to revise her decision more than anything less. He was - well, the same as he always was - acerbic and difficult. But, at the same time, he was more - polite - at least what could be considered polite in his case. He gave his best to support her decision and not to provoke her. Of course, Severus still had the same disposition which he tried to mask.
And it all started that day, after that awful night and his permission to stay on his bed. Hermione shook her head at the memories and flopped on the sofa looking at the sleeping form of Severus, her cheeks still burning at the memory of the next morning...
...The low whistle coming from the direction of the door and harsh whisper from her bedmate woke her up. Her fuzzy head and heavy eyelids saved her from instant jumping at the sounds. Odd it may be but she felt safe and secure, protected - safe enough to stay in the position she was when reality caught up with her.
She was once more curled up around his arm, using his forearm as a pillow, clenching his hand with both of hers. Over the night someone - and she suspected Misty on Severus’ order, covered her with a blanket. She stirred, mashing her face at his skin, it was warm and comforting, sheltering her from Draco’s low chuckles.
“You are lucky it’s me and not my father or my mother, not to mention Madam Pomfrey.” she could hear Draco speaking, not even trying to hide the laughter from his voice.
“Do try to behave as becomes someone of your status, Draco.” whispered Snape harshly. “You of all others in this house know how difficult nights can be in this room.”
Hermione forced herself not to frown, sometimes she hated Slytherins with all her passion - this was a nice way for Severus to let Draco knows that she was the one who had difficult night and not him. Draco decided to ignore that fact, not a smart move if anyone asked her - no one did, and Draco kept on pushing.
“So, is this regular occurrence or just - occasional?” She could hear the change in Severus’ breathing, the change in his demeanour spread around him like fog, she suppressed the shivers but Draco was still unaware. “Please, tell me that the same services are not expected from me. You know that I do respect you but there are lines…” Draco continued, obviously amused.
“Draco!” ground Severus through clenched teeth, from her vantage point she could see the muscles on his jaw dancing in anger.
“...Are you even sure you want her to go to school, it seems to me that you have a rather sweet deal….” Draco ignored the warning and Hermione hitched her breath. There was a change in Severus, from vibrant anger he went very, very still.
“Draco Malfoy, I advise you to measure carefully what will come out of your mouth next.” Severus’ voice was barely a whisper, but Hermione had the desire to run and hide, she could feel the magic crackling over his skin like electricity. She nearly jumped when he addressed her. “You Miss - Hermione, can remove yourself from me now.”
She nodded and obeyed him without a word, almost tripping and falling when she was getting out of the bed. Draco had a serious and a bit pale face. Not a trace of amusement she could hear in his voice just moments ago.
“Ummm, good morning.” She mumbled unsure if it was smart to talk at all….
Hermione sighed, shaking the memory out of her head, Draco didn’t miss the opportunity to make fun of her later, but only when he was sure that Severus won’t hear him. Hermione expected that Draco will tell his parents - but for some reason, he didn’t. She couldn’t decide if Draco was afraid of Severus’s reaction or not.
Maybe it’s a Head of House thing? Like when McGonagall is angry at us.
But even that wouldn’t fit into what she learned about Severus or how he lead the Slytherin house... From all that she saw in his memories - he was kind and patient towards Slytherins, obviously, there was the other side of that kindness but nothing harsher than her own Head of house - if anything, he was more lenient than Minerva ever was to them.
Maybe it was a Death Eater thing?
But even that somehow didn’t fit. Sure, Severus was scary as hell and deadly if he wanted to be, but he was always protective over Draco, protective of all Malfoys. From everything she learned of him, Severus was ready to take the burn for Malfoys and especially Draco, the same way he was taking the burnt for the action of Harry, Ron and her.
Standing up from the bed she turned her back to Severus and flicked her wand sending the content of both trunks to pile up on the sofa. Looking at her possessions she shook her head.
Someone might think I moved into the Manor with all these.
There was a substantial pile on the sofa. Hermione briefly wondered if she healed completely? She was able to move around the house freely if she felt inclined - which she still didn’t. And it didn’t appear that she had a problem with going into the public space, she had to pass that test in previous weeks.
To ensure that Draco acts as her assistant and substitute in taking care of Severus while she goes to Hogwarts demanded of her not only to show up in front of Wizengamot but also to speak before them. Convincing them wasn’t easy, and it didn’t improve her opinion about this “new and open-minded wizarding society”, they were still the same old prejudicial bunch.
Kingsley was fighting difficult battle still, and he along with Harry, McGonagall and Matron had to assist her in order to secure that Draco could continue serving his correction in a capacity of her assistant. But in order to achieve that she had to go to the Ministry, an experience she wasn’t too fond off given that the public opinion wasn’t in her favour at this moment.
In retrospect, that wasn’t anything new - public opinion was never all that good about her.
But, the most important thing was that she handled that one well, without breakdowns and following nightmares. She was able to raise her head high and glare at those who tried to slander or shame her. Snape’s words and Harry repeating that she is a War hero became her mantra.
So why am I so reluctant to go? Do I still think that Feretface won’t be able to take care of Severus properly?
No, that wasn’t it - Draco did possess an ability to learn quickly, something she privately saw as a waste of potential given Draco’s habit to slither out of obligations whenever possible. Draco was motivated to help Severus, in the past few weeks, Draco read all the Muggle medicine books she gave him, learned all massage techniques - she was confident that he will take good care of Severus in her absence. More than that, Severus alone was more inclined to follow Draco’s instructions than hers, to offer less resistance to Draco.
Hermione huffed, sorting the pile on the sofa - clothes in one corner, books in the other, everything else in the middle. She took her belt pouch and frowned at it. Does she still need it? She was certain that she wouldn’t need a tent or extra healing potions - books, maybe… Again, most definitely not the books she was carrying around during the war.
Making a decision, she turned the pouch to shake out things from it on the sofa before she had a chance to change her mind. Focusing on sorting for a brief time, before he mind wandered back to question her approaching departure. Can she be that selfish and leave knowing that Severus still wasn’t anywhere near healed. His physical health improved by the day, he was able to move, even making a few steps on his own - one or two more each day.
Mentally, Severus was still a mess, there were sparks of his usual acerbic self here and there, but for the largest part, he was still passive, barely responsive and… Hermione thought he reminded her of the rock sinking to the bottom of the lake.
And there is the question of our link, how that will work on distance?
In all fairness, Matron did come to talk to her and Severus about that, informing them of new findings of her and Minerva, with the help of Albus’s portrait - Hermione didn’t doubt that even if Matron didn’t mention him. It wasn’t impossible but it won’t be easy either. Still, the question of Severus’ behaviour worried her, and strangely - she felt comforted by the fact that she will be connected to him, even at Hogwarts. His memories rushed towards the end, towards the day of the Final battle, making her feel dizzy and disoriented after they would wake up.
They were just a myriad of moments, small hidden moments and feelings - sad, and gloomy, the most dominant feelings were loneliness and dread….
...Severus ordering Hogwarts elves to bring food and keep guard, to assist student rebellion in any means possible without making it obvious that they are helping, even instructing them to go against him if need be, to protect the students, but keep it secret from other staff members…
...Dumbledore arguing with Severus, Dumbledore giving Severus instruction he opposed but still carried on, Dumbledore not giving him a time to rest even a bit…
Hermione wondered if Severus even managed to sleep or eat during those last months of the war, pulled in different directions by his obligations, Dumbledore, Voldemort, Hogwarts staff,... She noticed that he took more potions to keep a migraine at bay, to fight the need to stay in bed every morning, to be able to push through the day. At nights he would meditate more than sleep just to manage to keep his Occlumency walls strong and intact...
...Severus suppressing shivers and fighting to keep his breathing and heart rate under control when he found out that they were captured by snatchers. Flying to the camp and packing all their things, giving them to Doby. Severus instructing Dobby to find them and rescue them…
...Severus vomiting after only a cup of tea, literally worried sick from fear hours after they were saved, something he didn’t know at the time. Sitting on the toilet floor and glaring at the mark, begging silently to be summoned - to find out…
...Voldemort furious, punishing Malfoy’s - all of them… Severus couldn’t do anything but stand and watch while the Dark Lord ....crucioed Lucius - still sickly and tattered looking, Narcissa and Draco. He felt so powerless and angry, he felt like he betrayed the only family he ever had, that evening he nearly destroyed the Headmaster’s office forcing portraits to run and hide and shiver, even Dumbledore was silent. The only speck of satisfaction he had when Dark Lord punished Bellatrix and Fenrir
...Severus crumpling the Prophet, burning it in the fireplace, boiling from anger after the news of their break in the Gringotts vaults...
…Severus sitting on the meeting with Voldemort - noticing that towards the end, plenty of Death Eaters was there out of the pure fear, only a few were still honestly supporting Voldemort. Many of them stopped Severus, asked him about their children and every time he answered that Slughorn is Head of House - that answer made plenty of them looking worried and uneasy...
Can she leave him? Now, with all these memories emerging - she had a feeling that under all that hissing and ignoring he found comfort in her presence and Harry’s visits. Every time she would think of leaving him she felt like crying, her heart fluttered painfully. Hermione shook her head to clear it out from confusing thoughts and looked at the content of the trunk she was packing.
Why do I have so much muggle clothes? I’ll wear mostly my school robes anyway.
With an annoyed hiss, she flicked her wand and clothes piled up on the sofa again. Behind her, Severus groaned.
“You will need sets of school robes and maybe two sets of summer and winter Muggle clothes for Hogsmeade.” at that moment he sounded like her old teacher.
“I know,” she nodded trying to keep all of her emotions at bay.
“If you know, then pack what you need and stop huffing like Hogwarts express,...” he grumbled.
Why am I so testy? “You will get rid of me soon,” Hermione replied evenly, fighting tears. Why is it so hard to leave, I should be happy to leave the Manor.
“Not nearly soon enough...” he grumbled and Hermione turned to gaze at him, unsure why she felt so hurt by those words.
What is wrong with me?
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- 97
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Torment *Completed*

Torment Completed